With the month of May comes the celebration of Mother’s Day! In honor of mothers around the globe, let’s learn about different types of moms in the wild. In nature, oftentimes mothering or parenting styles can be grouped into 2 types: the “r” and “k” selected species. 

The “r” strategists or parents tend to have a lot of kids, and I mean a lot! Some r-selected species can have hundreds of kids at once. Can you imagine having 99 siblings? Because “r” parents have so many children, or offspring, the amount of parental care they can provide each offspring is much lower. Parental care is a wide range of behaviors that parents do to help their offspring survive. Most fish species are r-selected species that lay tons of eggs at once; the lionfish mom (Pterois sp.) has been estimated to lay up to 2 million eggs a year! It can be easy to spot r-species: they are often the species that seem to multiply themselves! Because they have such short lifespans and instill little parental care, they must have many kids so that their species may survive and continue to do their essential jobs.

On the opposite side of the spectrum we have the “k” strategists, or parents who tend to have only 1-2 offspring at a time. These parents are able to devote large amounts of time and energy (or parental care) towards raising and caring for their offspring. One particular group of “k” species that has been praised for demonstrating motherly care are whales! Mother whales will travel with their babies or “calves” over long distances during migrations. Because they travel much farther with their calves, mother whales have to be very vigilant and protect their calves against orca pods and other attackers. In some whale species, the mothers will not eat for several months in a row, because in order to feed she would have to leave her baby alone and unprotected– talk about dedicated mothers! As you celebrate Mother’s Day, take time to appreciate the amazing things mothers do– both the animal moms in the wild and your own mom or mother-figures in your life!

On May 10th, make sure to wish all of your friends a Fintastic Friday! Better yet, do it every Friday, or every single day! This is because sharks, skates, and rays need our appreciation everyday.

Fintastic Friday’s have been a holiday since 2015. The holiday was founded by Ruth Musgrave, founder of WhaleTimes Inc. and Director of the organization. Just like Fintastic Friday, the publication was created with the belief that inspiring kids and giving them the tools to advocate for marine life makes them the most powerful allies marine creatures can have. Not only is WhaleTimes run by people who care, but is connected to experts in the field. The staff at WhaleTimes invented Fintastic Fridays, but they also invented Hagfish Day (this year it falls on October 16th, so mark your calendar) and host virtual research missions.

Not only does Fintastic Friday celebrate and encourage us to advocate for sharks, skates, and rays, but for all elasmobranchs. Elasmobranchs are a subclass of fish, designated by having five to seven pairs of gill slits, firm dorsal fins, and small scales on the skin, among other features. Some of the most recognizable elasmobranchs might be sharks, skates, and rays, but sawfish are included as well. 

More than ever sharks, skates, and rays need our help. 70 million sharks are killed every year by recreational and commercial fishing and the International Union for Conservation of Nature have classified 17% of 1,000 species of shark to be threatened using their “red list” criteria. By-catch (the practice of accidentally catching sharks while fishing), finning (taking the fins of sharks), and capturing sharks for the use of their cartilage and the oils found in their meat and liver are just some of the threats that sharks face. Skates and rays face similar threats; overfishing and by-catching of skates is especially detrimental to their species due to the slow rate in which they develop and reproduce.

Luckily, WhaleTimes Inc. tells us the ways we can help our fin-ny friends. You can take the “fintastic pledge” today!: 

• Only eat seafood that is ethically sourced, meaning you know where it comes from and how it got to you. Eating local seafood is the best way to do this. 

• Speak up against laws about harmful commercial fishing practices and finning.

• Support the research and conservation efforts for all elasmobranchs.

But one of the most important things you can do is celebrate Fintastic Friday every day, not just May 10th. WhaleTimes believes that no one is more passionate than someone who cares, and the people who care are those who are well informed. So it is important to not only stay well informed on the threats that impact elasmobranchs worldwide, but also the threats facing them in your community. And when you see your friends and family on Friday, wish them a Fintastic Friday! The more questions and weird looks you get the better: be sure to keep everyone informed on how they can help save elasmobranchs!